Bill Belichick is 9-2 ATS in season finales as head coach of the Patriots with 9 of those games going over the total. This is even more impressive when you realize the Patriots may not have been really trying to win that Doug Flutie drop-kick game against the Dolphins in 2005 (because a loss allowed them to play the Jaguars instead of the Steelers in the first round)... Heh heh - Occupy Wall Street Lego version - "Occupy my nightstick!"... Did not realize this - Michael Gambon who is best known for playing Dumbledore in the Harry Potter movies also played Mafia boss Don Faranzano in the 1991 movie Mobsters starring Christian Slater... Here's an idea for a new TV channel - ESP-N - the Extra Sensory Perception Network. You could have psychics making sports picks and predictions for upcoming sporting events... 100 incredible pictures taken from airplanes... Who knew? All ten of the most commonly used verbs in English are irregular verbs... Put on the meat ponchos! Like tasty gravy to a hungry wolf! Two phrases that definitely should be used by NHL announcers for goal scoring plays... Very cool insect photographs... The other day I seriously had the voice of Burgess Merideth as Rocky's trainer Mickey saying, "Newt Gingrich craps bigger than Ron Paul" stuck in my head. Seriously... Neat quiz. Who said it: Jack Kennedy or Jack Donaghy? I went 9 for 9.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

I agree with the sentiment behind this post. If Ron Paul ran as a third party candidate - he'd take more votes away from Barack Obama than from Mitt Romney. The Occupy Wall Street, the anti-war crowd and those generally disappointed that Hope and Change resulted in more of the same would find a voice for their protests in Ron Paul. Those people make up some of the very base Obama has been pandering to.

The Republican base and the Independents worried about the economy aren't going to forsake Mitt Romney for Ron Paul. Giving up the fringe to get the center is a very good trade for the presumptive Republican nominee.

A third party run by former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson would also hurt Obama much more than Romney. Johnson on the ballot would attract people whose main issues are the environment or legalizing drugs. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think those people voted for Hope and Change the last time around.

I am a big fan of Josh Reddick. I thought he was going to be the starting RF in 2012 for the Red Sox. I also think his late season drop-off probably had a lot do do with his injured wrist. Having said that - really like the trade for Andrew Bailey. He becomes the closer and lets Daniel Bard become a starter. The one thing I'm not so hot on is the idea of Bailey keeping number 40 on his uniform. The last closer to wear that number for the Red Sox was Calvin Schiraldi. Bad juju... Who knew? According to Mental Floss "Barry Manilow's hit 'I Write the Songs' was not written by Barry Manilow"... The Boston Celtics have lost 3 games in less than a week. You would have to go back to October to find 3 losses for the Boston Bruins... Just saying but if I owned a zoo - I would make money on the side doing body disposal Mr. Wu on Deadwood style. Good thing I don't own a zoo... This is an interesting nugget via Sports by Brooks, "Keep in mind, [Mike] Leach was only coach in America who offered Adam James a scholarship, at Craig's behest. SMU wouldn't"... Is it possible that Rex Ryan is actually a worse coach than Herm Edwards? When Edwards was done in NYC he at least was able to get another HC job with the Chiefs. When Ryan is eventually fired by the Jets do you think another team will take on his baggage? Even asking the question comparing him to Edwards is an indictment on Ryan... If Drew Brees broke the passing record before Christmas he might have been able to sell a ton of Isotoner gloves... My daughter makes an awesome drink she calles a Ferrero Rocher. It's half Hazelnut coffee and half hot chocolate.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

I started watching No Reservations about a year or so ago and have become a big fan. Tony just seems like a guy you'd want to have some beers or a meal with. This piece seems to catch the essence of the man you see on TV.

Good news. This was one of the biggest boondoggles in US history. People are upset at wastes of money like the Solyndra "investment" - and rightly so - but the ethanol subsidy with the dollar amounts involved and the willing suspension of belief for political gain dwarfs the green money grab.

Also interesting that this public good was accomplished not by Congress being proactive and fixing a wrong but by Congress being inactive and just letting the subsidy to expire.

Time to trade Kevin Youkilis? Now that the Red Sox traded Jed Lowrie - I see this as very unlikely. If they do trade Youkilis for prospects - then it will be a cost cutting move designed to get the team under the luxury cap.

Is Mark Sanchez a good QB? I have to say no and the numbers agree with me.

In QB rating - Sanchez is 22nd in the NFL with a 79.5 rating - just below Tarvaris Jackson.
In passing yards he's 15th in the NFL but when it comes to yards per game he's a miserable 24th.
Sanchez is a respectable 8th in TD's passes but he's also 7th in interceptions.
In the other bad things category - Sanchez is tied for 5th in sacks, 6th in fumbles and 1st in fumbles lost.

Those numbers just don't add up to equal a winning equation. As a Patriots fan - I hope they stick with Sanchez. Them getting a Kellen Moore in the mid rounds of the draft and him becoming their Tom Brady is what I'd fear. But the way the team is managed my guess the only way something like that happens would be by accident.

Over the weekend I devoured the book Live From New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live, as Told By Its Stars, Writers and Guests. If you are a fan of SNL - I highly, highly recommend the book. I knew this before but the book cemented the notion that Lorne Michaels is a genius and the show never would have survived or prospered without him. Those that say otherwise are just jealous. Some nuggets gleaned from the book include the fact that Billy Crystal was supposed to be part of the original cast, Janeane Garofalo was a miserable self-entitled succubus on the show (all her excuses for her failure on the show were rendered moot by Tina Fey's success in almost the same circumstances - oh and Chevy Chase was a jerk.

Monday, December 26, 2011

Happy birthday to Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk... Have you seen those Subway ads where the hot girls will be your "girlfriend" in exchange for a sandwich? I'd like to work there. Sandwich whores sure are a hell of a lot cheaper than coke whores... You never see lumps of sugar anymore. When did lumps of sugar fade into history? Now you just have packets of sugar. You would think the eco-freaks would go after this change... I like to think that the NAPA-know-how commercials are about how to give oral to African-American women because otherwise it is just two guys serenading each other about auto parts which is twice as weird and not in a good way... OK - I'll say it! The Patriots have 3 QB's on their roster who are probably better than Mark Sanchez. Tom Brady obviously is better but Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett are probably better too... Do Italian children write Dear Sinatra letters the way others write Dear Santa letters?... Norv Turner would have had this Jets team in the playoffs...

Saturday, December 24, 2011

AshleyMadison.com Faithful Republican / Unfaithful Husband "endorsement" of Newt Gingrich was genius. The billboard in Pennsylvania probably cost a few thousand dollars but they are easily getting ten-times that in free exposure... Excellent parody of the David Bowie / Bing Crosby Little Drummer Boy holiday classic... I am glad that the Red Sox did not trade for Gio Gonzalez because he would have cost too much in terms of prospects. I would much rather see the Red Sox commit to making Daniel Bard a starter... Drew Brees cannot get through the gate. The gate is narrow. Also Drew Brees drives a gay parade float... The 50 Funniest Headlines of 2011... "I would like - to feed your fingertips - to the wolverines"... Is it me or have the Boston Celtics draft results from the past several years been awful?... If they made a Broadway play based upon the campaign of Newt Gingrich - the lead could be played by Bernadette Peters... Did I miss the Def Leopard Christmas Special? Damn every year I miss that... I absolutely love this idea:

@StevanRidley - Double Stuffed Oreos should be called Oreos, and regular Oreos should be called Diet Oreos..

I'm a little torn in my AFC West rooting now. I like how Tim Tebow drives some people crazy but I also want Romeo Crennel to succeed so he wins the head coaching job in Kansas City... Boston Celtics doctors can detect Jeff Green's thoracic aortic aneurysm but somehow they completely missed Delonte West and his mental illness... 19 Outstanding Words You Should Be Working Into Conversation... Right now Daisuke Matsuzaka has cost the Red Sox $1.9 million per win. By the end of 2012 John Lackey will have also cost the Red Sox $1.9 million per win... Phil Martelli was great in Young Frankenstein... Christopher Hitchens famously debunked the saying "Whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger" in his last column but I have to wonder what he'd have to write about the saying "No pain no gain"?... Speaking of Hitch -I knew Christopher Hitchens better than you... I'm hoping Norv Turner comes out and says that if he had a team as talented as the Jets then he'd have a playoff spot tied up by now. And speaking of the Jets - I agree with the sentiment that if you switched the QB's from the Jets and Giants then the team with Eli Manning would win by 2 TD's... If the government sold its remaining GM stock today taxpayers would lose about $16.5 billion...Who knew? There are more McDonald's in the US then Wendy's, Burger Kings and White Castles combined... Most rational leaders gave thanks at the news of the death of Kim Jong Il but Jimmy Carter sends condolences. He is truly a craven person...

I must say that a certain amount of cowardice is involved here in waiting till Tim Tebow lost to go after his religious beliefs. Charlie Pierce comes off like the Edward G. Robinson character Dathan in The Ten Commandments shouting, "where is your God now?" It was also most unseemly to invoke Christopher Hitchens in this piece because of that. Hitch would never have waited till a loss to say what he thought had to be said - but Charlie Pierce waited. Yet still the cool kids will call him brave for doing it.

Pierce criticizes Tebow's brand of Christianity. He says that this "particular splinter has a long record in America of fostering anti-Enlightenment thought." If I was to go after Enlightenment thought the way Charlie Pierce goes after Tebow's faith then you would read a screed about Guillotine's and the French Revolution which with all its bloodletting was the most tangible outcome of the Enlightenment. The most tangible outcome of Tebow's ministries in the Philippines will probably be a new hospital.

I happen to agree with Teddy Roosevelt who was not keen on those who worked to convert others to their religions. He didn't like it because first the proselytizer would have to destroy the person's existing beliefs to get them to accept the new beliefs. Pierce makes the argument that's what Tebow and his family are doing in the Philippines which - as Pierce points out - is already 95% Catholic. I wonder if the Jesuit educated Pierce would like to extol the methods used by the Catholic Church in gaining such a plurality. Of course Pierce won't do that but at the same time he won't ruin his straw man argument either.

When you get right down to it this is article by Pierce is just another case of a person trying to drag down - nay smear - another just to try to feel better about themselves.

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Will the Westboro Baptist Church be protesting at the funeral of Christopher Hitchens? In a perverse way I think he'd like that... 18 Fun Facts About Your Favorite Christmas TV Specials... Is it too late for Jon Huntsman to run for President as a Democrat? I think he could win the nomination from Obama. Almost everyone I hear who supports Huntsman is a Democrat who have no intentions for voting for a Republican. Maybe if Huntsman officially switched parties he could gather their votes... I still say Meat Raffle would be a good name for a band... I wonder who actually did more real good in the 1990's - the Community Organizers like Barack Obama or the Guardian Angels? Seriously... There was a TV series in 1983 called Casablanca that starred David Soul and was supposed to be a prequel to the Bogart movie. I would like to watch that.... Now that Kobe is getting divorced - the Lakers should go right ahead and officially make him player/coach just like what the Celtics did with Bill Russell. If Kobe wasn't listening to his wife - who really thinks he'll be listening to Mike Brown?... I am still absolutely flummoxed that such a thing as the Beef O Brady Bowl actually exists. That is not what our Founding Fathers had in mind... If I ran a minor league baseball team I would have put in a bid on Yu Darvish just for the press release value.

Saturday, December 17, 2011

I've been meaning to comment on this piece on Tim Tebow by Chuck Klosterman for some time. I think the idea of asking "What if Tim Tebow was a bad person?" is a good premise for an article. Comparing people who are Christians to people who believe a certain guy is a murderer? That's not clever - it's actually insulting to Christians if you stop to think about it. But that's the problem at Grantland - nobody stops to think about anything. It is not the oozing condescension that made this article memorable for me. It was the insertion of politics into a non-political "sports" article:

Throughout the 20th century, there were only two presidents who won reelection with a bad economy and high unemployment: FDR in 1936 and Reagan in 1984. In both cases, the incumbent presidents were able to argue that their preexisting plans for jump-starting the economy were better than the hypothetical plans of their opponents (Alf Landon and Walter Mondale, respectively). Both incumbents made a better case for what they intended to do, and both enjoyed decisive victories. In 2012, Barack Obama will face a similar situation. But what will happen if his ultimate opponent provides no plan for him to refute? What if his opponent merely says, "Have faith in me. Have faith that I will figure everything out and that I can fix the economy, because I have faith in the American people. Together, we have faith in each other."

The guy arguing, in effect, against blind faith is himself placing blind faith in Barack Obama with zero to back it up. Klosterman placing Obama into a comparison with FDR and Ronald Reagan? This would be like inserting a comparison of Tim Tebow to Roger Staubach and John Elway midway through the article with nothing to back it up. FDR and Reagan? Jimmy Carter and Benjamin Harrison are more like it. Klosterman literally projects the GOP having an argument of, "Have faith in me. Have faith that I will figure everything out and that I can fix the economy" when that is the EXACT re-election platform Obama will have to take because - well because Obama has objectively been perhaps the most ineffective Chief Executive in the history of the US. The fact that this gets inserted into the middle of a story on Tim Tebow is Exhibit A of the Groupthink that will be the downfall of Grantland. Why go to read any of the articles when you already know the slant and the snark all of the articles will have in common?

Player A is New England favorite son Steve Grogan, Player B is Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw and Player C is Tim Tebow. It is interesting to note how closely Grogan compares to Bradshaw but the reason I made the comparison was to show how closely Tim Tebow is coming to resemble these two old school winners. Sure the passing yards per game isn't quite up to Grogan's or Bradshaw's level yet but who doesn't think that as time goes on Tebow won't be attempting more passes per game and thus upping his PYG? For example - if you just took this season then Tebow is averaging 117.3 PYG and 47.0 RYG which if combined puts Tebow very close to the offensive output from Grogan (just 30.7 yards less per game) and just less than 15 yards per game than Bradshaw averaged over the course of his career.

An item I came across at Instapundit made me think of Karl Marx's 1852 quote that history repeats itself "the first time as tragedy, the second time as farce." Except I think in this case the first time was fake history as farce and the second time it is real history as farce.

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

If I were to brainwash someone to be a serial killer - I would use the Lexis December to Remember tune as the trigger to set him off... These are awesome! Dirty Signs with Kristin... It should be noted that the Red Sox signing of Kelly Shoppach also saved the team $650,000 over what they paid Jason Varitek last year. Team seems to be in penny-pinching mode... How long before someone claims to have found a picture of Tim Tebow in their toast? Or the inside of a tomato?... I would really like to know the rest of the story of why this guy was banned from his adult hockey league... When people shake hands and say "How do you do" I instinctively say "How do I do what?"

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

I like Jed Lowrie but honestly he's not as good as Marco Scutaro, Kevin Youkilis or Dustin Pedroia. Not even close. Where and when would he play? And is he as good as super prospects Will Middlebrooks or Jose Iglesias? Again - not close. In short there was no future with the Red Sox barring a big injury and Lowrie suddenly learning how to hit right handed pitching (career .214 BA and .635 OPS in 529 AB). For the Astros - Lowrie can step in and be the starting shortstop and be a 20 HR guy at Minute Maid Park. If Lowrie was a bigger name player you would see the Red Sox PR machine gearing up to bad mouth him on his way out of town.

Kyle Weiland would have been an innings eater at Pawtucket this year for the Red Sox but for the Astros he can easily step in and be the 5th starter or even 4th starter. The Astros rotation is awful and they are actively trying to trade Wandy Rodriguez and Brett Myers. I could easily see Weiland giving them double the innings as a starter that they got from Mack Melancon last season. There's a value in that and you never know - Weiland could blossom into a very good NL starter.

Mark Melancon was the Astros closer last year but ask yourself - how valuable can any closer be to a 100-loss team? You could have Mo Rivera and what real good would it do you? So the Astros get a starting shortstop and a starting pitcher but they give up a young serviceable closer. In return the Red Sox get a guy who can close but who most likely will be a 7th or 8th inning guy and who is just 2 months older than Daniel Bard.

Yesterday the Red Sox signed veteran catcher Kelly Shoppach to a 1-year $1.35 million deal. A deal that basically signals the end to the Jason Varitek era in Boston. Stoppach has a career .909 OPS vs LHP including a .788 OPS last year. This foreshadows a platoon with Jarrod Saltalamacchia in 2012.

Today is Monkey Day. I kid you not. Happy Monkey Day... Study: 87 Percent Of Movies Would Be Better With Michael Keaton In Them. Two things - doesn't Michael Keaton have a huge forehead? Second - this Onion piece reminds me of my belief that you could immediately make all the Ben Affleck and all the Ben Stiller movies 100% better if you switched those two in the starring roles. Think about it... Craig James for Senate is an anagram for "A Magnesia for Rejects"... This math is truly incredible. The odds of Tebow's historic stretch of wins? 1 in 27 million... The 1951 version of A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim is the best ever made. The 2nd best was the 1999 version with Patrick Stewart... I am disappointed to announce that today I too failed to discover the Higgs Boson. There will be no press release... If I had the room on one of my walls - I would want one of these. Fathead now selling the Tim Tebow "Tebowing" version

Monday, December 12, 2011

Thank You Very Much

I can't watch or hear that song without smiling. The 1970 version of Scrooge is not the best but this song always makes me happy - and isn't happiness what Christmas is all about? I also have to say that Albert Finney is a very under rated actor. Can you believe that's the same guy from Miller's Crossing?

I haven't seen anyone on ESPN or the NFL Network mention that the play before the interception that set Tom Brady off and created the heated discussion on the sideline came after Wes Welker dropped sure TD pass on the play before... The things the Internet makes you think about - even if you won $1 million in the lottery for every month for the rest of your life - you would never become a billionaire (unless of course you were a vampire and were immortal)... Celtics dancing guy... Kids should send their Christmas letters to Tim Tebow instead of Santa - they'd have a better chance of getting good gifts because Tim seems to be God's favorite right now... President William Henry Harrison drank hard cider from a gourd - a fact that sound funny when said out loud... 11 Visual Cliches You Never See in Real Life... Ryan Braun tested positive for PED's? I haven't been this disappointed since I learned Cash Cab was fixed

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Last Night's GOP Debate

I enjoyed last night's GOP Debate but I keep thinking about the exchange between Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich regarding Newt calling the Palestinians an "invented people". Here's what I would have said if I were Romney:

I am sure Benjamin Netanyahu was thankful to you Newt because he had to spend so much time addressing your comments instead of working on his own agenda. Did he send you flowers to thank you for that unasked for favor? You say you are a historian and are only speaking the truth but you are running for President. Historians can say inflammatory "truths" in order to help with book sales but Presidents cannot. Let me give you an example that may explain to you the difference. Newt Gingrich is overweight. Medical science says that elderly, sedentary, overweight men are more likely to have a massive heart attack and die. That's the truth but calling you an old fat man isn't courteous or diplomatic. But by your logic you are not allowed to take offense because I was just telling you a truth.

I also don't see Mitt offering Rick Perry the $10,000 wager as hurting Romney as so many seem to be suggesting. The idea of "put up or shut up" is pretty universal across the country. Romney was willing to put his money where his mouth was and when push came to shove Rick Perry was not.

Is it OK for a funeral home to display holiday lights? Even the plain white ones? Walked by one with the decorations lit last night and it just struck me as odd... Pleasing 15 women... When I die I would like my ashes spread over people protesting things I am in favor of. Hopefully in the rain so that my ashes get all stickey and mess up their hair and stuff... I still say AC/DC's Its a Long Way to the Top if You Want to Rock and Roll is the perfect rock song... What's stopping job creation? Too much regulation... Keep your friends close but your enemies closer. If Mars is the friend of Earth what does that make the moon? Fucking Moon... Has anyone seen Joe Theisman and Larry Bowa in the same room at the same time? Separated at birth... Heh heh - 25 Ugly Christmas Sweaters... Quote for the day: "Everyone is entitled to his own opinions, but not his own facts". Daniel Patrick Moynihan... I would not be surprised if Jason Varitek wound up with the Angels.... 2011 Taylor University Silent Night. I had never heard of this tradition before. It is perhaps the most awesome thing I've seen in quite some time.

Nice analysis of some of Red Sox potential trade chips. Really surprised that Lars Anderson wasn't mentioned. He's completely blocked by Adrian Gonzalez... If I was in the US Senate I would attach approval for the Keystone oil pipeline to every since piece of legislation daring President Obama to veto everything. The country would win either way... Lindsey Vonn takes 1st place at the Alpine World Cup, then Tebows on medal stand... USA Networks has announced a new TV show. In the pilot an aging TV star is kicked off a flight in Miami and has to do good deeds to get his reputation back. Burn Notice II with Alec Baldwin... The Soviet Union Was Dissolved 20 Years Ago Today. Some very interesting facts in the link. The one that stood out for me was male life expectancy in 1980 USSR was 62 but today male life expectancy in Russian Federation is just 59. What's up with that?... Very sad day here in Worcester as another Worcester Fireman has given the last full measure of devotion a little over 12 years since the City lost 6 heroes.

Monday, December 05, 2011

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

I wonder if a Josh Beckett for Hanley Ramirez swap gets discussed at the Winter Meetings? Both players are signed through 2014 for about the exact same money. Hanley wants to stay at shortstop and the Marlins could use a front line starter like Beckett who is very well liked in South Beach. Beckett might want a change of scenery... 50 Unexplainable Black & White Photos - I posted these before but they are just too awesome not to link to again... 78 years ago today the 21st Amendment, ending Prohibition, was ratified. On a related note I had way too much to drink Saturday... The greatest trick Santa Claus ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist... Penn Jillette: An Atheist's Guide to the 2012 Election. Disagree with him about Romney but anything he does seems to be interesting... I would have picked about 100 other music acts before Madonna but I think people will be surprised at how well she does at the Super Bowl. She will not be awful like the Black Eyed Peas. She will be professional and probably flawless in her act... Tom Brady gets Victoria Secret super model. Aaron Rodgers gets discount double-check. Advantage Brady... The reason I prefer Mitt Romney over Newt Gingrich in a nutshell? Romney went into private business to become rich while Gingrich used Congress to become rich basically at the expense directly or indirectly of the American taxpayer... I wish Bobby Valentine all the luck in the world but it needs to be said that Terry Francona deserved better from the Red Sox.

If I was a teacher or someone who had the summers off I would spend my summer in Saratoga Springs, NY. Each day I would review the next day's races and I would make my picks. Here's where the dream comes in - each day I would make my picks in Haiku format and would write them out by hand in as neat a calligraphy style as possible. I would then have copies made and would sell them each morning for say $1.50.

The draw would be not just the picks (which I hope would be good) but also the fact I could advertise the broadsheet as both the "only handwritten newspaper in America" and also the "only newspaper in America written in Haiku." People would buy them as novelty items. I could easily sell 100-200 copies a day.

If there is an average of 45 racing days at Saratoga per season then you'd be looking at an income of around $250 per day (when you also factor in advertising). That would be plenty to pay for room, board, betting and beer for the season with probably a few shekels left over to go into the savings account (plus whatever winnings at the track).

Friday, December 02, 2011

One of the elements of Tim Tebow's game that goes unnoticed is that when he plays at home in the Mile High City, the altitude affects the opponents after spending three quarters chasing Tebow around. John Elway would wear out his opponents with his ability to move around, and Tebow does the same. They have different styles but the results are the same - defenses get tired.

Tebow's style of offense has to be wearing on the defense. I suggest that part of the reason Tebow can have that 4th quarter success is because he's worn the defense down during the first 3 quarters. It's harder to catch and tackle a fast big guy like Tebow if you are tired.

Thursday, December 01, 2011

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Who knew? New York Jets owner Woody Johnson is Mitt Romney’s national finance co-chairman... I had this dream that James Bond and Indiana Jones starred in a movie called Cowboys and Aliens - that was just a bad dream - right?... Even without knowing German, see if you can tell what Der Spiegel thinks of the GOP field. The Dr. No label next to Ron Paul made me laugh... The Broncos were 1-4 with Kyle Orton who had 8 TDs but also 7 INT's as QB. I keep stressing that it was the INT's that did the Broncos in. Tim Tebow doesn't throw INT's... What's not to like about Bobby Valentine? He invented the Chicken Cesar wrap, speaks fluent Japanese, plays the accordion and owns a herd of American buffalo that he keeps in New Zealand.